Luke xi. 29-36.

LECTURE XXXII.

SIGN OF JONAS.

MATT. xii. 38-50.

38. Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

39. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

40. For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Signs enough were daily given to the Jewish people, in the words of wisdom which were spoken, if they had ears to hear, and in the mighty works of power that were done, if they had eyes to see. One more sign remained to be shown, which as yet they could not comprehend. Their Scriptures related, that when Jonah the prophet was sailing to Tarshish in opposition to the divine command, a tempest arose, and threatened to sink the ship in which he had embarked. Conscience-struck, he said to the sailors, (Jonah i. 12), "Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea: so shall the sea be calm unto you." "So they took up Jonah, and

cast him forth into the sea; and the sea ceased from her raging." "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." After which "the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land."

To this sign our Lord compares his own death and resurrection. In the cause there was no resemblance. Jonah, by his own disobedience, occasioned the anger of God, which he expiated. The resemblance is in the event: Christ consented to be "cast forth," to "give his life a ransom for many." And Christ, like Jonah, should be three days hidden from the sight of men, should by all be given up as lost, and should rise again on the third day from the depths of the grave.

Let this be a sign to us also. Let us provide that when we go down to the grave, we who shall likewise rise again, at the appointed time, "to stand before the Son of man," He may prove a Saviour to us, who himself died, and was buried, and rose again.

41. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 1

42. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.'

:

'See Jonah iii. 4-10.

2 See 1 Kings x. 1— 9.

Luke xi. 24-26.

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43. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

45. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked genera

tion.

This sad description is applicable either to the case of an individual or of a nation. Our Lord, however, on this occasion, alludes more particularly to the Jewish people, speaking of them as of one man. They had been growing worse and worse, in spite of many advantages. They had been purified by the Babylonish captivity: the power of Satan had been weakened for a time: the unclean spirit might be supposed to have gone out : but any reformation which had followed this chastisement had been transient: no sign of it remained; they were again corrupt, exceedingly corrupt, as a people; and they were now signally showing their corruption by rejecting the Messiah. This state is here traced to Satan as its cause. Any individual, or any national reform, is a conquest over the power of that unclean spirit. He may be expelled for a time, or he may go out; relax his temptations "for a season;" but we know

* Dry places. The idea is suited to an Eastern country, and is taken from the case of one wandering in a sandy desert, where, through want of water, all is waste and barrenness.

that he will not lose his victim without a struggle; he will watch his opportunity: he will find no rest: all places will be dry and unrefreshing to him, till he return, if possible. As we read in the history of Job, "The Lord saith unto Satan, whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."4 And St. Peter acquaints us with the object of this restlessness: saying, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour.""

When then, thus "going to and fro in the earth," he finds a house which he had left, empty, swept, and garnished; that is, when he finds a heart ready prepared for his reception, unprotected by divine grace, unfortified by sound principles, and exposed to him by remaining evil habits: he returns again with increased power, as if seven, or many, wicked spirits were present instead of one; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

This was, undeniably, the case with the Jewish nation. "Light had come into the world." But they had shown that they "loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." They "would not come to the light, lest their deeds should be reproved."

We may say the same of Judas, as an individual. As an apostle, he must have worn the outward appearance of a religious character.

4 Job. i. 7.

He must have

51 Pet. v. 8.

Mark iii. 31-35. Luke viii. 19-21.

"done many things," as Herod once did, in the way of obedience and duty; and we can hardly suppose that he had not felt many strong compunctions. Still the heart was kept prepared for Satan, as a house that is swept and garnished, to receive a guest on his return. His covetous disposition remained unchanged, his dishonest practices were not altogether abandoned:" and therefore he was ready to yield to the grand temptation, when “Satan entered into him," and led him to final destruction, both of body and soul.

We must never forget the power of Satan. But we must equally remember the promise, that if we "resist the devil, he will flee from us." Resolve to do this, being "strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." You may then depend most upon his protection, when you feel your own weakness most sensibly. But let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall."

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46. While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.

47. Then one said unto him, Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.

48. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?

49. And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren?

50. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

How graciously is this narrative introduced, as a comfort after the alarming sentences which had just preceded! Our Lord declares that he looks upon See John xii. 6. 72 Cor. xii. 10.